Book Club - Oil, the State, and War: The Foreign Policies of Petrostates by Emma Ashford

Note: Registration opens one month in advance.

"Ashford's book is frequently an exercise in myth-busting: she applies rigorous analysis to some of the most pervasive and widely held ideas surrounding oil and oil-states, and draws conclusions that are...often compelling and thought provoking."—H-Diplo

ABSTRACT

A comprehensive challenge to prevailing understanding of international implications of oil wealth that shows why it can create bad actors

In a world where oil-rich states are more likely to start war than their oil-dependent counterparts, it's surprising how little attention is still paid to these so-called petrostates. These states' wealth props up the global arms trade, provides diplomatic leverage, and allows them to support violent and nonviolent proxies. In Oil, the State, and War, Emma Ashford explores the many potential links between domestic oil production and foreign policy behavior and how oil production influences global politics. Through a combination of case studies and analysis, she illustrates how oil shapes petrostates' behavior, filling a major gap in our understanding of the international implications of oil wealth. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emma Ashford is a senior fellow in the New American Engagement Initiative at the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council and a nonresident fellow at the Modern War Institute at West Point. Her work focuses on questions of grand strategy, international security, and the future of US foreign policy. Ashford is a regular columnist for Foreign Policy, and a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations.